[GrannieAnnie]

Did anyone see those lovely carrots in the Big Dig on sunday?  I've only tried growing them in 12inch pots before, not huge ones, but they were only small when I harvested them.

Those ones were LOVELY!!!!  Must try that

[lentil987]

I was thinking exactly the same!

Now on a hunt for some cheap pots for the job

[shaun]

ive seen them grown in those big blue 45gallon  drums aswell as parsnips

[Oliver]

ive seen them grown in those big blue 45gallon  drums aswell as parsnips

Parsnips. Hurump. Don't talk to me about parships. Of you want to make her mutter, say parsnips.  Oh well. I will get her to try again next year. Maybe in a drum. BUT the seed must hatch first ...

[philsmith1967]

Hello everyone! This is my first visit to this site and I am ecstatic there's a forum on carrots! Why I here you ask? i have an obsession with growing carrots and here is my own little recipe for success;
Get some 4" (100mm) drain pipe - try builders skips - you need lengths that are least 3 feet long
Fill them with the following mixture - 1/3 sharp sand, 1/3 peat and 1/3 top soil - all should be sifted with a fine sieve. This operation should be done in February
Get some 2 litre pop bottles and cut the top end off - these fit perfectly in the 4" drain pipe - put them on to help warm the mixture up.
Early march sow about 6 seeds in the top of the pipes and replace the pop bottles(they're like miniature greenhouses)
Once the seedlings are about 4/5" high thin out to leave the strongest - remove bottles once the seedling is established
Water regurlarly and by September you will have monsters!!
Try using a type like St.Valery - I grow these up to 30" long with a top about 2 1/2" and it would be easy to top this in a good year.
The world record is about 16 feet!!!!
Sorry to harp on but this is my passion  - what a saddo eh!

[GrannieAnnie]

You have a passion for carrots???  Oh well, whatever turns you on!!! Lol no sorry, only joking.  But what monster carrots!  Do you just cook one per family???  That's a lot of messing about with the drain pipe and all, but interesting.  I may have a go as well as the barrel idea.

And yes, the woman on the Big Dig had hers in those big blue barrels.  I've got one big pot that may be suitable, but at the moment its got sweet peas in it!!!  Darn, and I've run out of compost.  Don't know if I'll be allowed to buy any more, I've used 600 litres so far this year!

[John]

Nice one, philsmith, but I think you're wrong on the record - pretty sure it's more like 27 feet, but that may have been a parsnip.
A lot of the NVS show growers use a barrel on a barrel with a compost mix, then use a long crowbar to make a hole which they fill with finer compost and then station sow into.

Tickles me when they refer to 'stumpy' carrots - only about four feet long.

[philsmith1967]

I reckon that the straight drainpipes help 'steer' the carrots in a perfect straight line.
I will post some photos in late september when I pull them for the mid sept. shows

[GrannieAnnie]

Look forward to seeing your photos Phil!!

[Jake]

Look forward to seeing your photos Phil!!

Yes me too, we sowed loads but only got about 9!!! I've not been successful with carrots in the garden or at the plot.

Mind you, of the few we got they seem all to be good n long. about 9" and I'm pleased about that

[philsmith1967]

Bernard Lavery in S.Wales grew a carrot 5.14 m long ( 16' 10 1/2") which is the longest I could find on the net.

[philsmith1967]

Yeah! Down on the lottie I had very poor germination rates - the parsnips were worse. Probably down to the late cold weather we had or the fact that I bought cheap seeds from Wilkinsons-39p a pack!
The ones I grow for the shows get that little extra bit of t.l.c. at home and are under cover until they are established.
Will be making some cloches this year to help next years sowings.

[Jake]

the parsnips were worse. Probably down to the late cold weather we had or the fact that I bought cheap seeds from Wilkinsons-39p

Thats odd 'cause my parsnips are great. Loads of people told me I sowed them too early. I read John Seymours self sufficiency book though and listened to him.

Not exactly sure, not looking at it right now but I think he said you can sow parsnips when the soil stops caking to your shoes. Thats what I did.

[GrannieAnnie]

I've had more parsnips this year than last year germinate, but still big gaps in the rows!!!  Next time will try John's putting the seeds between 2 pieces of damp kitchen towel.  Tried that with my second lot of peas, and it was good.  I only planted the ones that germinated!!!